When
the British East India Company was started under Queen Elizabeth in the
1600s, few could have imagined that it would still be around 400 years
later, and in the hands of an American cigar company. Today Kaizad
Hansotia, owner of the Gurkha Cigar Group Inc., operates East India
Trading Co. as a subsidary of Gurkha, and the company is releasing a
cigar called Red Witch, a box-pressed brand set to debut at next month’s
trade show.

Named
after a trading ship from the British rule during the 1800s, Red Witch
features an Ecuadoran rosado wrapper, Dominican binder and filler
tobacco from Nicaragua’s mountainous region of Jalapa. Housed in rustic
50-count boxes, Red Witch will be available in three sizes: Robusto, 5
inches by 52, Rothchild, 6 by 54, and XO, measuring 6 by 60. Retail
prices are expected to fall in the $4.99 to $6.39 range.

Red Witch marks the second cigar released by the East India
Trading Co. The first brand—Wicked Indie—debuted in November.

“A
strong goal with East India is to release distinctive, unique blends
and flavor profiles that are very affordable to all consumers,” said
Gary Hyams, president of Gurkha Cigar Group. “This arm of our company
allows us to execute different marketing strategies that do not
necessarily fall under the Gurkha image and branding.”